History of Reagan National Airport | Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority History of Reagan National Airport History of Reagan National Airport A historic landmark serving the Capital Region since 1941. 2 The National Airport (now Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport) site is rich in historical significance dating back to colonial days. The area, known as Gravelly Point, is where Captain John Alexander built a home called "Abingdon" in 1746. A descendent, Philip Alexander, donated most of the land on which the City of Alexandria was built, and it was so named in his honor. Abingdon was purchased in 1778 by John Parke Custis, the adopted stepson of President George Washington, and was the birthplace of Washington’s beloved granddaughter, Eleanor “Nelly” Parke Custis. Abingdon was destroyed by fire in 1930 and the ruins stabilized. In 1998, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority preserved the site and created an exhibit of artifacts now located in Terminal A. Throughout the early 20th century, airport facilities in Washington, D.C. were seriously inadequate.

Hoover Field, located near the present site of the Pentagon, was the first major terminal to be developed in the National Capital area, opening its doors in 1926. The following year, Washington Airport, another privately operated field, began service next door. In 1930, the economics of the Great Depression caused the two terminals to merge to form Washington-Hoover Airport. Bordered on the east by Highway One—with its accompanying high-tension electrical wires, and obstructed by a high smokestack on one approach and a dump nearby—the field was less than adequate. Incredibly, the airport's one runway was intersected by a busy street, Military Road, which had guards posted to flag down traffic during takeoffs and landings. THE BEGINNING Between 1926 and 1938, Congress produced reams of debate transcripts and 37 committee reports on the need for a new airport, but no action was taken. In the Fall of 1938, President Franklin D.

Roosevelt announced at a press conference that he was "tired of waiting for Congress" to select a site for the new airport, and said that it would be built on mudflats on a bend of the Potomac River at Gravelly Point, 4 ½ miles south of Washington, D.C. Two months later, on November 21, 1938, the first ceremonial shovelful of dirt was moved to signal the start of construction. Before the final site selection, flights were made over the area with representatives of airline pilots, and year-round studies of weather conditions were made by the U.S. Weather Bureau. It was found that the approaches to proposed runways from eight directions were clear for such distances as to provide flight angles of 40 to one. Several government agencies cooperated with the newly formed Civil Aeronautics Board, predecessor agency to the Federal Aviation Administration, in the construction of Washington National Airport. Additional assistance came from the Works Progress Administration(WPA), the Public Works Administration (PWA), the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior's National Park Service and the Fine Arts Commission. BUILDING Most of the proposed airfield site was underwater.

Between November 1938 and December 1939, almost 20 million cubic yards of sand and gravel were moved onto the site. The first step in construction was to erect a dike around the riverside perimeter of the site. The second task was to clear the runway locations of silt so that sand and gravel could be pumped on top of a stable base, eliminating the possibility of settling. Four hydraulic dredges, among the largest and most powerful at that time, cleared 11 feet of silt from the future runway locations to a width of 200 feet. Next, sand and gravel were pumped from the riverbed into the canals which formed the runways up to a height of 20 feet above the river level. By this method, the runway base was so stabilized that paving could be laid within six months after the fill was completed. AIRFIELD The Airport was originally designed with four runways: the main north-south runway at 6,855 feet; a northwest-southeast runway at 5,210 feet; a northeast-southwest runway at 4,892 feet; and an east-west runway at 4,100 feet.

THE TERMINAL BUILDING On September 28, 1940, two years to the day of the site selection, President Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the terminal building at the dedication ceremony. National Airport’s designers faced a difficult problem. How would they create the most modern of facilities while honoring the spirit of classic architecture of the Nation’s Capital and the colonial history of the site? The design, reminiscent of nearby Mount Vernon, represented a unique attempt to create a “modern” structure while still integrating architectural references to the Colonial and Neoclassical style. An observation terrace allowed visitors a spectacular view of the airfield. Over 2 million people visited the airport during the first year, including 344,257 actual passengers. National Airport opened for business on June 16, 1941. President Roosevelt attended a ceremony and observed the first official landing. The airlines drew straws to determine who could land at National Airport first, and American Airlines won the honor. The plane was piloted by Bennett H. Griffin, who later became the manager of National Airport in 1947. The second inaugural landing was made by Eastern Airlines. On opening day, just one hangar was completed and in operation.

Five hangars were under construction with a seventh in the planning stage. When it opened, National Airport was considered the “last word” in airports – a concentration of the ultramodern developments in design of buildings, handling of planes, air traffic and field traffic control, field lighting, facilities for public comfort and convenience, and surface vehicle traffic control. Airlines at National in 1941: American Eastern NATIONAL OVER THE YEARS National Airport became a success, but a controversy over legal jurisdiction began to brew. Was the airport located in Virginia or the District of Columbia? The District "owned" the Potomac River to Virginia, claiming the boundary had been set in 1846 at the high water mark along the shoreline. But since the airport was built on a fill, a new eastern shoreline was created. The question arose as to whether the District's authority ended at the new shore or the original one. The problem went unresolved until 1945 when Congress approved a bill that fixed the airport boundary at the mean high water mark, regardless of changes, which placed the airport in Virginia. However, the Congress established exclusive federal jurisdiction over National Airport.

The first major expansion was completed in November 1950 when a 297-foot extension to the south end of the main terminal added 25,110 square feet of space. Five years later, in 1955, the 587 by 17 foot “south finger” was added increasing the square footage by 9,979 square feet, and also providing badly needed aircraft gates and loading positions. Over the years, the runways have changed only slightly in length, except for the east-west runway which was closed in 1956, and used as a taxiway and for aircraft parking. Today, the airfield contains three runways. Runway 1/19, the main north-south runway, is 6,869 feet. The other two runways are Runway 15/33 at 5,204 feet, and Runway 4/22 at 4,911 feet. As flying became an increasingly popular form of travel, the need for more space for passengers and aircraft became necessary.

In October 1958, the North Terminal was opened, adding an additional 7,264 square feet of usable space. In 1961, the 772-foot long passageway between the Main and the North Terminals was enclosed. With 344,257 passengers in 1941, and the first million in 1946, the annual number of passengers grew steadily until the late 1980's when the number reached 16 million. Airport passenger numbers remained between 15 and 16 million throughout the 1990’s, dipping slightly in the years immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In 2014, Reagan National reached a record of 22.4 million annual passengers. A TIME FOR RENEWAL The federal government relinquished direct control of National and Dulles Airports when President Ronald Reagan signed the transfer bill that authorized the creation of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority in 1987.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is an independent interstate agency created by legislation enacted by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia, with the consent of the United States Congress, for the purpose of operating Washington Dulles International and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airports. The Airports Authority operates this two airport system, which provides domestic and international air service for the Metropolitan Washington region. The Airports Authority is a financially self-sustaining agency. In addition to operating both Washington Dulles and Reagan National, the Airports Authority is responsible for capital improvements at both airports, the operation of the Dulles Toll Road and the construction of the Silver Line Project. On February 6, 1998, President William Jefferson Clinton signed into law the bill introduced and passed in Congress that changed the name of Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. THE “NEW” NATIONAL On July 27, 1997, National Airport was transformed by the official opening of the new Terminal which offers modern, efficient facilities that include direct connections to Metrorail and new parking garages via enclosed pedestrian bridges.

The three-level, one million square foot terminal houses 35 aircraft gates and “National Hall”, a main street for shops and eateries on the concourse level. The terminal provides 100 ticket counters, 12 baggage claims, three piers where airline gates are located and a passenger connector the Terminal A. To enhance the spacious, passenger friendly environment, the terminal offers an unparalleled view of the Nation’s Capital and works of art from 30 artists are incorporated into the structure of the terminal using various designs –glass, marble, mosaic, terrazzo, murals, balustrades and sculpture. Renowned architect Cesar Pelli designed a Washington landmark that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Pelli’s design included a large window overlooking airport operations and the Washington, D.C. skyline, and the building is adorned with 54 “Jeffersonian” domes that establish a connection with the architecture of the region. Abingdon Plantation In 1998, the Airports Authority took considerable care to preserve and stabilize an archaeological site on airport grounds. Abingdon was a colonial plantation and the birthplace President George Washington’s granddaughter, Eleanor Parke Custis.

It was destroyed by fire in 1930, and the ruins stabilized. During the Airports Authority’s preservation effort, there were numerous archaeological finds. These artifacts, along with a detailed history of the airport and the surrounding area, can be viewed in the hallway located to the west of the Historic Lobby in Terminal A. HIGHLIGHTS IN THE HISTORY OF NATIONAL 1938 And the next presidential airport is ... - CNN.com And the next presidential airport is ... By Katia Hetter, CNN Updated 5:34 PM ET, Tue March 4, 2014 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: Whom are those airports named after? What's in an airport name? – The airport in Wichita, Kansas, will soon be named after the United States' 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Click through the gallery to see more of the people behind airport names. Hide Caption 1 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? John F. Kennedy International (New York) – John F.

Kennedy International Airport, located in the Queens borough of New York City, bears the name of the 35th president, who was assassinated on November 22, 1963. It was formerly New York International Airport, but was commonly known as Idlewild Airport. Hide Caption 2 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Ronald Reagan Washington National – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in the nation's capital is named for the 40th president. Hide Caption 3 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? George Bush Intercontinental (Houston) – George Bush Intercontinental Airport, one of Houston's two airports, is named after the 41st president, George H.W. Bush. Hide Caption 4 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Bill and Hillary Clinton National (Little Rock) – The airport in Little Rock, Arkansas is named Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, honoring the 42nd president and his wife, the former U.S. senator and secretary of state. Hide Caption 5 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Gerald R.

Ford International (Grand Rapids) – Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan, honors the 38th president. Hide Caption 6 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional – Theodore Roosevelt, who was president from 1901 to 1909, has his name on the Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport in North Dakota. Hide Caption 7 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Abraham Lincoln Capital (Springfield) – No matter that 16th president Abraham Lincoln (shown here circa 1860s) didn't live to see commercial flight. The Springfield, Illinois, airport is still named Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in his honor. Hide Caption 8 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International – Most airports, of course, are not presidential namesakes. William B. Hartsfield, who served six terms as mayor of Atlanta from 1937 to 1962, was instrumental in developing Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: first by helping to select the landing field and, later, leading the way for a new terminal.

The Atlanta airport is now the busiest airport in the world. Hide Caption 9 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International – One of Hartsfield's mayoral successors, Mayor Maynard Jackson, built on Hartsfield's legacy with an even bigger $500 million terminal that opened in 1980. The new international terminal is named solely after Jackson. Hide Caption 10 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Chicago O'Hare International – A World War II hero, Lt. Cmdr. Edward "Butch" O'Hare received the Medal of Honor in 1942 for his exploits as a Navy pilot. He died the next year when his plane was shot down by Japanese bombers. At the suggestion of Chicago Tribune Publisher Robert McCormick, what was then called Orchard Depot Airport (hence O'Hare's airport code, ORD) was named after O'Hare in 1949. Hide Caption 11 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? McCarran International (Las Vegas) – Pat McCarran was a U.S.

senator from Nevada from 1933 to 1954. The politician was a sponsor of the Civil Aeronautics Act (1938) and Federal Airport Act (1945). He was also a staunch anti-Communist and sponsored tough anti-immigration laws. McCarran International in Las Vegas was named for him in 1948. Hide Caption 12 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Louis Armstrong International (New Orleans) – New Orleans' international airport was originally named Moisant, after an aviator who died in 1910. (The airport's code, MSY, is derived from Moisant Stock Yards, from when the area was an agricultural center.) In 2001, the city decided to honor one of its most famous natives, Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), the great trumpeter who rose to fame in the city's clubs and helped shape jazz and popular music. Hide Caption 13 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? General Mitchell International (Milwaukee) – Gen.

William "Billy" Mitchell, a Milwaukee native, was instrumental in establishing the Army air division during World War I and remained a staunch advocate of aviation after the war ended, to the point of being court-martialed for his criticism of his superiors. Milwaukee named its airport after him in 1941, five years after his death. Hide Caption 14 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International – Civil rights leader and pastor Fred Shuttlesworth was one of the founders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and several others. The Birmingham, Alabama, airport was named for him in 2008, three years before his death. Hide Caption 15 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Lambert-St. Louis International – Albert Lambert was a noted aviator, businessman and golfer: He participated in both the 1900 and 1904 Olympics, which featured the sport. (He trained in airplanes with Orville Wright.) In 1925, he purchased the land on which the airport stands and constructed its first buildings.

The city bought it from him in 1928. Hide Caption 16 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International – "Silicon Valley's Airport" added the name of Norman Mineta, a Cabinet official in the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, in 2001. Mineta, a San Jose native, was mayor of the city from 1971 to 1975 and served 20 years in the House of Representatives. Hide Caption 17 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? William P. Hobby (Houston) – Houston's oldest airport, now the secondary counterpart to George H.W. Bush International, was named for William P. Hobby, a former Texas governor, in 1967. At one time, it had been called Howard R. Hughes Airport after the famous billionaire and aviator, but for the most part it was known as Houston Municipal Airport. Hide Caption 18 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Logan International (Boston) – Lt. Gen.

Edward Lawrence Logan was a veteran of the Spanish-American War and World War I. He later was a judge, a state representative, a state senator, president of the National Guard Association and head of the state American Legion. Boston's airport, once known as Jeffery Field, was named for Logan in 1943. Hide Caption 19 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Rick Husband Amarillo International – The Texas airport is named after Amarillo-born Rick Husband, one of the NASA astronauts who lost his life in the 2003 Columbia space shuttle tragedy. Hide Caption 20 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Charlotte Douglas International – Ben Elbert Douglas was mayor of Charlotte from 1935 to 1941. In Charlotte, he may be just as well known as the founder of Douglas Furs, one of the city's leading furriers. Charlotte's airport was named for him in 1954 and renamed Charlotte Douglas in 1982. Hide Caption 21 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after?

Dulles International (Washington suburbs) – Washington's more suburban airport is named for John Foster Dulles, Dwight Eisenhower's secretary of state. The much-traveled Dulles, who died in 1959, was widely admired in the nation's capital. When the airport opened in in 1962, it was named for him, though there was some mild griping from locals -- and more came when a suggestion was floated to rename the airport after Eisenhower in the early '90s. Hide Caption 22 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? LaGuardia (New York) – The "Little Flower," Fiorello LaGuardia, is considered by many the best mayor in New York's history, having overseen the city from 1934 to 1945. The airport that bears his name was once an amusement park and then a private airfield. New York City took it over in 1937, expanded it and named it New York Municipal Airport-LaGuardia Field in 1939. It became LaGuardia Airport in 1952.

Hide Caption 23 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Dallas Love Field – No, Love Field isn't named for the warm fuzzies you get when you fly. It's actually named in honor of 1st Lt. Moss L. Love, who died in an air crash in 1913 in San Diego. The Army gave his name to its Dallas-area air base in 1917. Love Field became a civilian airport when the city bought it in 1927. The first flights took off in 1929. Though the much-larger Dallas-Fort Worth International serves the majority of local flights, Dallas Love Field is still the headquarters for Southwest Airlines. Hide Caption 24 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Bradley International (Hartford, Connecticut) – Bradley has its roots as a U.S. Army airfield acquired in 1941. The army named it Bradley Field after Lt. Eugene M. Bradley, an Oklahoma native who died in a crash at the base on August 21, 1941.

The Army turned the base over for civilian use in 1947, and the name remained. Hide Caption 25 of 26 Photos: Whom are those airports named after? Cleveland Hopkins International Airport – William R. Hopkins, right, was Cleveland's city manager in the 1920s. In 1925, at a time when commercial aviation was almost unknown in the United States, he proposed building an airport 10 miles south of the lakefront Ohio city. Twenty-seven years later, the airport was named for him on his 82nd birthday. Hopkins died in 1961. Hide Caption Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) 1 Aviation Cir Washington, DC Major Airports - MapQuest See a problem? Let us know! Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport DCA is the closest commercial airport for Washington D.C. DCA Airport is across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia. Reagan National is a hub for US Airways and annually serves 18 million passengers.

Due to certain restrictions, flights to and from DCA are not allowed to fly non-stop more than 1,250 miles, in order to send more international traffic to Baltimore International Airport or Dulles International Airport. Originally named Hoover Field upon opening in 1926 it merged with another airport in 1930 to become Washington-Hoover Airport. In 1941, with construction money reallocated from President FDR, Washington National Airport opened its doors under the jurisdiction of the federal government. In 1998 the airport was renamed Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in honor of the United State’s 40th President. Located between the Potomac River and the George Washington Memorial Parkway, DCA Airport offers many parking options including hourly, daily, short-term, long-term, garage and economy. These options include: Garage A , Garage B , Garage C and Economy Parking . Reagan National Airport is comprised of three connected terminals (A,B,C) with 45 gates. Over 25 airlines fly to and from DCA Airport to many domestic destinations and a few exempted destinations abroad. With over 30 options for dining Reagan National Airport has an option for any budget.

In terms of shopping there are many shops selling magazines, books, newspapers, clothing, jewelry and electronics. There are a variety of services available to travelers such as ATMs, currency exchanges and free Wi-Fi. If staying there are over 55 hotel options within 10 miles on both sides of the Potomac River. WashingtonPost.com: National Airport Congress Votes for Reagan Airport By Richard Tapscott Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, February 5, 1998; Page A01 After son Michael Reagan urged Congress to "win just one more for the Gipper," the House and Senate voted yesterday to put Ronald Reagan's name on Washington National Airport. The votes were hurried so the measure would be ready before Reagan's 87th birthday tomorrow, and passage came in spite of strong opposition from Washington area political and business leaders. Local officials argued that Congress was interfering in control of the airport, which sits along the Potomac River in Arlington County. The Senate voted 76 to 22 to change the name to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The House version of the bill, passed 240 to 186, did not include "Washington" in the title, but House leaders said they expect to make their bill conform to the Senate's and send it on to the president. A White House spokesman said President Clinton will sign the legislation into law. Reagan would join former presidents George Bush and John F. Kennedy in having his name attached to a major U.S. airport. As word of the congressional action spread yesterday, the renaming didn't go over well with everyone at the airport, which recently opened a new $450 million terminal. "There's a big building being built for Reagan [in the District] and that should be sufficient," said Edie Jones, of Reston, a volunteer who works at the information booth in Terminal B. "He is a wonderful person, and he was a wonderful president. But this should remain Washington National Airport." "It's neither Republican or Democratic. It's a nonpartisan airport. It shouldn't be one side or the other," said a Delta flight attendant, who asked that his name not be used because he didn't have authorization to comment from the airline.

For all the passion it engendered on Capitol Hill, the change will have scant practical effect immediately. Officials said the designator "DCA," which identifies the airport on luggage tags, tickets and global tracking systems, would not have to change. Last April, Houston Intercontinental Airport officially changed its name to George Bush Intercontinental/Houston to honor the former president, but its code remained IAH. As for on-board announcements when planes land, airlines can script their own messages, a spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants said. For many passengers, Jill Gallagher said, the old name is a sure indication of where they have landed. "Some foreign passengers might not even know who Ronald Reagan is," she said. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), who voted to change the airport name, said the action is symbolic. "Most of my constituents won't stop calling it Washington National," he said. Although the battle over the airport name became partisan, the fiercest opposition came from the Washington area. Alexandria and Arlington leaders urged Congress to leave the name alone, as did the Greater Washington Board of Trade and former Virginia governor A. Linwood Holton Jr., who is a Republican.

Opponents argued that Congress was intruding on a 50-year lease it had granted to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which runs National and Dulles International Airport and raised millions of dollars for the airports' new terminals. Many members of Congress, particularly Republicans, said they viewed the airport as a "national treasure" that belongs to the whole country, not just people for whom it is the local airport. "Millions of visitors to Washington each year will see Ronald Reagan's name -- a fitting symbol for the man who initiated the concept of a responsive, smaller government, as well as a worldwide movement of freedom," said House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). Opponents pointed out that the new $800 million International Trade Center on Pennsylvania Avenue will be dedicated in April in Reagan's honor and that the next Nimitz-class aircraft carrier will be christened the U.S.S. Reagan. They also said imposing a name change on reluctant local officials violated Reagan's penchant for turning power over to local governments. Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.), whose district includes the airport, complained about the example being set by a bill that removed the name of one president, George Washington, and replaced it with another president's name.

In part, the move to keep "Washington" in the airport name was seen as an effort to mollify some critics. But Moran said he still viewed the action as an "arrogant abuse of power" by majority Republicans, and he warned that it could become a bad precedent for future Congresses. Moran also argued that businesses arrayed around the airport could be forced to spend thousands of dollars to change signs, printed promotional materials and other records because of the name change. The House vote to honor Republican Reagan broke down largely along party lines, with only 18 Democrats supporting the bill and three Republicans opposing it. Rep. Constance A. Morella was the only Maryland Republican to vote against the measure, joining the state's four Democratic House members. All House Republicans from Virginia, including Davis and Frank R. Wolf, voted for the bill. Moran and the other Virginia Democrats voted against it. Sens. John W. Warner (R-Va.) and Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) supported the bill. Sens. Charles S. Robb (D-Va.) and Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Md.) voted against it. Staff writers Sylvia Moreno and Lena H.

Sun contributed to this report. © Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company History | Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority 1 A Window on the Past…The Gateway to the Future… Although Washington National Airport (now Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport) had been open only since 1941, the need for a second airport to serve the National Capital Area became apparent shortly after the end of World War II. To meet the growing demand for airport capacity, Congress passed the Washington Airport Act of 1950 (and amended it further in 1958) to provide for ". . . the construction, protection, operation, and maintenance of a public airport in or in the vicinity of the District of Columbia." After a thorough study of many possible locations around the region, a 10,000 acre site, 26 miles west of Washington, D.C., was selected by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1958. The site, located in Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia, was surrounded by open farmland and was far enough from other airports to provide adequate airspace for arriving and departing flights.

The immense size of the new site allowed for an airport, the first in the country designed for commercial jets, to be buffered from its neighbors. Only 3,000 acres of the 10,000 acres were graded for the new airport and boundaries were established at least 8,000 feet from the end of all runways. This planning, in conjunction with the actions of local governments to properly zone the land around the site, helped the new airport to be a good neighbor in the Virginia countryside. The Terminal Building In May 1958, the engineering firm of Ammann and Whitney of New York was selected by the Civil Aeronautics Administration (forerunner of today's Federal Aviation Administration) as the prime contractor for the airport planning, design, and construction supervision. Other professional firms associated with Ammann and Whitney included: Eero Saarinen and Associates of Hamden, Connecticut, architect for the design of the terminal building, control tower, and service buildings; Burns and McDonnell of Kansas City, for the design of the mechanical, electrical, and utility installations; and Ellery Husted of Washington, D.C., as the master planning consultant.

Architect Eero Saarinen, wanted to create something more than just another airport -- he wanted to find "the soul of the airport." He designed the terminal building and the control tower in that spirit and called it "the best thing I have ever done." The terminal building was selected for a First Honor Award by the American Institute of Architects in 1966. The building of the airport started on September 2, 1958, seven and a half months after the site selection. When it opened four years later, in 1962, Dulles International Airport had a strikingly beautiful terminal building which would become a landmark to travelers worldwide. The terminal was a compact, two-level structure; 600 feet long and 200 feet wide. While it was built without extensions onto the airfield for aircraft loading, it was designed to be expanded up to 320 feet at either end (this expansion was actually completed 34 years later in 1996). The terminal was "topped off" with a distinctive 193-foot high, glass-enclosed, control tower cab which provided the air traffic controllers with an unobstructed view for many miles in all directions.

Runways When the airport was completed (and after 11.5 million cubic yards of earth excavated), Dulles had two north-south parallel runways, each 11,500 feet long, 150 feet wide, and separated by 6,700 feet and a third northwest-southeast runway, 10,000 feet long and 150 feet wide. All runways had standard instrument landing systems (ILS) for landings, high-speed turnoffs to increase runway availability, and the most modern lighting systems. In addition, all runways had paved shoulders, 25 feet wide, ensuring clean surfaces designed to prevent jet engines from ingesting dirt and debris. The Mobile Lounges The concept that made the new airport outstanding and unique from the passenger's view in 1962 was the specially designed mobile lounge, used to transport the passengers between the terminal building and the aircraft parked on a jet ramp ½ mile away from the terminal. The mobile lounge was designed by the Chrysler Corporation in association with the Budd Company.

The mobile lounge was constructed as a 54-foot long, 16-foot wide, 17 1/2-foot high vehicle, capable of carrying 102 passengers, 71 of them seated, directly from the terminal to the aircraft on the ramp. This protected the passengers from weather, jet noise and blast, and also eliminated long walking distances. Because of the mobile lounge, passengers had to walk only 200 feet once they entered the terminal until they were seated in the lounge for the short trip directly to their aircraft. Today, Dulles operates 19 mobile lounges and 30 plane mates, which are similar to the lounges but can transport passengers from the terminals, directly onto the airplane by attaching itself to the aircraft. Access Roads As Dulles was being designed, a complete study was made of the possibility of adjusting plans for future state and federal highways so that the airport would have access to adequate transportation arteries. This did not prove feasible, and the decision was made to construct an access highway as part of the airport development project. FAA, in cooperation with local communities, selected four tentative routes which were the subject of several public hearings.

The final selection was a 16-mile route from the airport to a point near Falls Church, Virginia, where it would be connected at a later date to the then proposed Interstate Route 66 and the Capital Beltway. The first 13.5 miles of the highway were built at the time of the original airport construction work, connecting the airport to Routes 495 (the Capital Beltway) and 123 near McLean, Virginia. Upon completion of I-66 through Arlington, Virginia, in early 1983, the Airport Access Highway was extended the last 2.5 miles to connect directly with I-66. Grand Opening View a copy of the program. Dulles International Airport was named for the late Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and was formally dedicated by President John F. Kennedy on November 17, 1962 (the airport was renamed Washington Dulles International Airport in 1984). The ceremony was attended by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, members of the Dulles family, many dignitaries and thousands of spectators.

The new airport was a symbol of America's stature and progress into the jet age, and was an impressive gateway to the nation's capital. An Eastern Airlines Super Electra, on a flight from Newark, New Jersey, was the first commercial aircraft to land at the new airport. The soaring beauty of the new terminal building and the airport's unique mobile lounge operations, impressed the many sightseers, travelers, foreign visitors, and diplomats who came to the airport. Dulles was also one of the first airports in the country to adopt the Accelerated Inspection System where representatives of the U.S. Customs Service, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, and U.S. Department of Agriculture work together to process arriving international passengers. From the grand opening through the end of 1962, Dulles served 52,846 passengers. Annual passenger traffic reached one million in 1966. Airlines at Dulles in 1962 American Northwest Orient Through the Years Built to accommodate up to six million passengers a year, Washington Dulles International Airport was one of the most modern airports in the world in 1962. As the number of passengers increased, the airport had to grow as well.

The first expansion was completed in November 1977 with the widening of the jet parking ramp. In 1982, new passenger waiting areas were added to the upper level and a new baggage make-up area was added below to handle increased airport activity. Midfield Concourses C and D, five cargo buildings, a hotel located on airport property, and economy parking lots were also added through the 1980's. The Main Terminal was expanded in accordance with the original Saarinen design in 1996. In 1998, the first permanent concourse was completed and a concourse for regional aircraft opened in 1999. The Growing Years Dulles Airport consistently served between two and three million passengers annually from 1969 through 1983, then the true vision of Dulles began to emerge. Dulles served 2.5 million passengers in 1975, compared with 11.7 million at the more established National Airport. With more than five million passengers in 1985 and 10 million in 1987, Dulles was taking its place among the major airports on the East Coast.

A decade of slow continued growth prepared the way for the surging numbers in the last few years of the 20th Century. From 1996 to 1999, Dulles passenger numbers increased 65%. In 1999, Dulles served 19.8 million passengers, a 26% increase from 1998 and the airport had nearly 470,000 aircraft operations, a 23% increase compared to just a year earlier. Dulles went from serving 1.4 million international passengers in 1990 to more than 3.5 million in 1999. During this time, the airport underwent a major Capital Development Program to start to accommodate the growth. The Main Terminal was expanded in 1996 to meet the original vision of Eero Saarinen. The expanded terminal contains 1.1 million square feet of floor space, measures 1,240 feet in length and replicates the curved roofline and glass curtainwall of the original design. Passengers can now benefit from the expanded baggage and ticketing areas and wider arrival and departure roadways.

The construction also added a new International Arrivals Building in 1991, improved flight and baggage information display systems, new roadways and overpasses, new aircraft gates and aprons for additional aircraft parking, and taxiway and runway improvements. In 1998, completion of the first permanent concourse (Concourse B) was completed with 442,000 square feet to serve 20 aircraft positions. Just a year later, a regional concourse (Concourse A) was opened to serve 36 regional aircraft and is attached to Concourse B by a sky bridge, that provides an unbeatable view of Dulles' airfield. Concourse B expanded in 2003 and again in 2008, increasing the length of the building to 2,810 feet. Several new cargo buildings were added throughout the mid 1990's to meet the double digit growth in cargo flying through the airport. Additionally, Dulles increased its parking capacity by 111% in just two years and now has more than 23,000 parking spaces.

As the 21st Century begins, Dulles has emerged as one of the fastest growing airports in the world and a major East Coast gateway for domestic and international travelers as well as cargo activities. The airport is achieving the potential its planners had envisioned, and more. Dulles Airport has been an economic engine for the surrounding communities, providing over 15,000 direct jobs and billions of dollars in business revenue. The "Dulles Corridor" is now synonymous with growth and future potential for the region. The Future Arrives Just as it was the vision of Eero Saarinen that the Main Terminal of Washington Dulles International Airport could be expanded to meet future growth, so is it the mission of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to ensure that the entire airport continues to meet the growing aviation needs of the region. In the summer of the year 2000, the Airports Authority launched the Dulles Development Program (D2) that will take Dulles closer to its full potential. The Program included building two new parking garages, a fourth runway, a new concourse, a new Air Traffic Control Tower, pedestrian walkways, the AeroTrain System and an expansion to the International Arrivals Building.

This program will continue to develop Dulles as was envisioned in the Master Plan. At full build-out, Dulles will handle 55 million passengers a year (150,000 a day) and become one of the world's major airports. The story of Dulles continues to unfold as it meets the passenger and cargo needs of the 21st century. Highlights in the History of Dulles 1958 Reagan National Airport To Get Reagan Statue | The Huffington Post Reagan National Airport To Get Reagan Statue 10/31/2011 05:03 pm ET | Updated Dec 31, 2011 320 Dan Froomkin Senior Writer, The Intercept WASHINGTON -- On Tuesday a 9-foot-tall, 900-pound bronze statue of Ronald Reagan will be unveiled at Reagan National Airport outside Washington. Part of a year-long tribute in the 100-year anniversary of Reagan’s birth, the sculpture may reopen old wounds for those local residents who have gritted their teeth ever since the airport was contentiously renamed in the 40th president's honor 13 years ago.

The statue, in front of one of the airport's busiest intersections, will show the former president in mid-stride. Behind him there will be a 38-foot curving stainless steel wall with his name and the image of an eagle cut out. "To have a statue at his airport was important to us," said Melissa Giller, a spokeswoman for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, which raised over $900,000 in private donations to pay for the statue. "The mission of the centennial wasn't just to have a celebration, it was to promote the legacy of Ronald Reagan and his life." "It's going to be near the front of Terminal A," said Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesman Rob Yingling. "It's a highly visible location, because it is at a junction point where vehicles that are headed to Terminal A or Terminal B split from the main roadway." The airports authority budgeted $80,000 in public money for "site preparation," Yingling said.

The Northern Virginia airport formerly known as Washington National -- and still called that by some anti-Reaganites -- was renamed for Reagan in 1998 by pugnacious congressional Republicans and an acquiescent President Clinton, over the strenuous objections of many Washington area political and business leaders. At the time, Reagan's name had already been attached to a gargantuan federal office building in downtown D.C. Fans of the former president see him as a champion of individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy and national pride. His critics, however, see him as in part culpable for the decline of the American middle class over the last 30 years. Gillers said she hopes no one will be frustrated or upset about the presence of the statue. "No matter what his politics are and no matter what your beliefs are, he was the 40th president of the United States," she said. Either way, there will really be no missing it -- unless you come by Metro. "It will be a highly visible feature of the airport as people drive onto the property for many years to come," Yingling said. * * * * * Dan Froomkin is senior Washington correspondent for The Huffington Post.

You can send him an e-mail , bookmark his page , subscribe to his RSS feed , follow him on Twitter , friend him on Facebook , become a fan and get email alerts when he writes. More: Breaking news on Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Arlington, VA, US - breakingnews.com Download the free Breaking News app for faster updates, alerts and live video. Synopsis Photo: Wikipedia Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (IATA: DCA, ICAO: KDCA, FAA LID: DCA) is an international airport 3 miles (5 km) south of downtown Washington, D.C. in Arlington County, Virginia, United States. It is the nearest commercial airport to the capital and serves the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. For decades it was called Washington National Airport before being renamed to honor President Ronald Reagan in 1998. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) operates the airport with close oversight by the federal government due to its proximity to the national capital. Reagan National is a hub for American Airlines, which is Reagan National's largest carrier. American Airlines also has near-hourly air shuttle flights to New York LaGuardia Airport and Logan International Airport in Boston.

Delta Air Lines also operates near-hourly air shuttle flights to New York LaGuardia Airport, which are all operated by Delta Shuttle. Other than the current 40 slot exemptions, flights into and out of the airport are not allowed to exceed 1,250 statute miles (2,000 km) in any direction nonstop, in an effort to send air traffic to the larger but more distant Washington Dulles International Airport. In the 12 months ending March 2015, the airport served 21,195,775 passengers. Reagan National has United States immigration and customs facilities only for business jet traffic; the only scheduled international flights allowed to land at the airport are those from airports with U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance facilities. Other international passenger flights must use Washington Dulles International Airport or Baltimore–Washington International Airport. Links National? Reagan? DCA? 17 years later, locals still can’t agree on the name of the airport in question. - The Washington Post National? Reagan? DCA? 17 years later, locals still can’t agree on the name of the airport in question. The inside track on Washington politics.

Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and we’ll e-mail you free updates as they’re published. You’ll receive free e-mail news updates each time a new story is published. You’re all set! By Sadie Dingfelder and Holly J. Morris By Sadie Dingfelder and Holly J. Morris April 1, 2015 Follow @SadieDing (Getty Images/Express illustration) Three middle-aged men sit in an airport terminal, killing time before their flight home to Columbia, Mo. When asked where they are, they respond in unison: “Reagan National.” A tall woman walking by disagrees. “National! It’s called National!” she says, as she rushes to her gate. In a nutshell, that’s the current state of affairs at the airport formerly known as Washington National. Though the name changed to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in 1998, many — especially D.C.-area Democrats — still won’t call it that. That’s according to an online survey Express conducted in December after noticing intense disagreement among the staff.

To our surprise, 42,082 people responded, and many of them feel just as strongly about the issue. “I’m still mad about the name, because of how it got passed. It got forced upon all the people here by a small group of powerful men in Congress,” says survey respondent Jason West, 57, a business analyst who lives in D.C. West’s complaint is a common one. Then-Senate majority leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., pushed the bill through Congress over protests from local leaders, congressional Democrats and even the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Then, Metro and the National Park Service were forced to revise signs at the agencies’ own expense. “It’s almost like all those Republicans wanted to stick a middle finger up to all the people who live here,” West recalls. “I don’t know why [President Bill] Clinton didn’t veto it.” Mike McCurry, Clinton’s former press secretary, suspects his boss had bigger problems on his mind at the time. “My memory is that in February 1998, we were rather occupied at the White House with a young lady named Monica,” he says.

“I have faint memories of this being a big deal on Capitol Hill, but I think we pretty much stayed out of it.” The loss still smarts, says Patti Brown, 53, a consultant who lives in Arlington. Though it’s been 17 years since the name change, she still avoids the R-word. “A lot of times when you call cab companies and you say DCA or National, they will correct you and say ‘Ronald Reagan National Airport,’ and I just sigh and say, ‘Yes, that one.’ ” Like most survey respondents who refuse to call the airport “Reagan,” Brown is, in her words, “a big ol’ Democrat.” In our survey, only 35 percent of Democrats call the airport “Reagan” or “Reagan National,” compared to 72 percent of Republicans. One such Republican is Chris Sloan, 50, a banker from Connecticut. “I don’t call it Reagan because of my political affiliation,” Sloan says. “I call it Reagan because that’s the name of the airport.” His is one of the most common reasons cited by survey respondents for saying Reagan.

Political reasons were most often cited for not calling the airport “Reagan,” particularly the president’s treatment of air traffic controllers. Reagan’s firing of 11,000 striking air traffic controllers in 1981 may also be why neither pilots nor air traffic controllers seem to use the airport’s proper name. When talking to pilots, air traffic controllers say DCA or National, says Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown, who didn’t speculate as to why that is. Pilots tend to say “Washington Tower” or “National Tower.” (You can listen in at liveatc.net .) In the long run, it looks like “Reagan” will win out. Our survey found that younger generations are more likely to use Reagan, regardless of political affiliation. That may be because, to them, “Reagan” simply connotes “the convenient airport that’s on Metro” — just as “Dulles,” to many locals, means “the airport that’s way out in Virginia,” not “the namesake of John Foster Dulles, architect of Cold War brinkmanship.” That’s certainly the case for Denzel Thomas, 25.

“I don’t know much about Ronald Reagan,” said the D.C.-based artist, while waiting for a flight to Miami. “I think he was president before I was born.” As for what to call the airport, Thomas sidesteps the whole issue. “I call it DCA, because that’s easiest to text,” he says. Reagan vs. National In December, Express conducted an online survey asking people what they call “the airport in Northern Virginia that’s not Dulles.” The sample is not representative of anyone other than readers who cared enough to take the survey. A case in point: 62 percent of respondents identify as Democrat, 18 percent independent, 12 percent Republican and 8 percent other. Given that limitation, we’re not focusing on summary statistics — e.g., that 41 percent of respondents refer to the airport as National, as compared with 31 percent Reagan, 13 percent DCA and 12 percent Reagan National. Those numbers are probably slanted by the underrepresentation of Republicans and out-of-towners in our sample. If you’d like to crunch numbers yourself, download our data. (For more-detailed analysis, click here . For the raw .csv file, click here .

To explore the data through keywords and visualizations, visit this outside site .) Here’s what we found. Your turn! Hotels Near Reagan Airport - Reagan Airport Hotels (DCA) Airport hotel reservations by phone: 1-866-966-3042 About Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a major airport for the Washington, D.C., area. The airport is located about 3 miles south of downtown D.C., and it can be found in Arlington County, Virginia. It was originally named Washington National Airport, but was renamed in 1988 in honor of the former U.S. president. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has three terminals: A, B and C. It provides passenger services on Air Canada Express, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest, United, U.S. Airways, Virgin America and others. When you arrive to the airport, you can refuel and recharge with a stop at Starbucks, or if you're in need a of a meal, there are a variety of eateries inside including Five Guys, Cosi Cafe, Potbelly, Panda Express and many more.

There are also a variety of shops for books, luggage, newspapers, gadgets and anything else you may need after your flight in or before your flight home. Once you arrive, there are more than 60 hotels near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, but some of the top options include the Crowne Plaza Washington National Airport puts you right near many must-sees including the Arlington National Cemetery. The hotel also offers business services, children's activities and a 24-hour fitness center. Another great option is the Holiday Inn in Arlington, which offers a complimentary shuttle to and from the airport. Welcome to Washington, DC Washington, D.C., also known as the District of Columbia, is the capital of the United States and the home to the three seats of government. D.C. is a haven for free, public museums depicting the nation's history, and there are a plethora of monuments to see, tasty restaurants to try and excellent shopping. Washington, D.C., is currently home to 600,000 residents, so you can certainly enjoy the hustle and bustle of a true city feel. D.C. experiences a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons, so it's fun to visit any time of year.

The spring and fall months provide pleasantly warm weather, while it heats up in the summer, averaging in the 70s to 80s, and cools off considerably in the winter with an average snowfall of about 15.5 inches and temps around the 30s. Plan Your Trip

Question: Washington DC National Airport has been named in honour of which US President?
Answer: RONALD REAGAN